Archaeological Institute Day 2

10/28: Day 2 began with a tour of the main house. Under the guidance of interpreters Joe Mester and Kate Ruhf, participants learned about the architectural and social history of the site within the context of the archaeological work being conducted. This was followed by a brief ceramics presentation by archaeologist Sarah Stroud. Using artifacts from the Drayton Hall study collection, Sarah discussed the technical and decorative characteristics of the ceramics unearthed on Day 1. This was particularly helpful to Institute participants as they were able to assign dates to the artifacts uncovered.

After lunch, excavations continued. Edward Crawford and Stan Younce continued to dig around a utility line installed in 1985. Ironically a series of postholes was found below the modern utility. This may be associated with the 18th century colonnade wall, but could also relate to the pre-Drayton house thought to have been located in this area.

Work continued in a second unit where Shelby Nelson, Terry Satterfield, Brandie Dunning, and Ray Satterfield found what is likley evidence of the pre-Drayton structure. At the end of the day a concentrated layer of brick and mortar was identified along with large bones (pig and cow) and pottery sherds from a large earthenware vessel. Future work will expose whether this assemblage is linked to pre-Drayton activity, and whether the material is part of a building.

Another important activity got under way today as Joe Mester, Brandie Dunning, and Terry Satterfield took turns washing excavated artifacts. As a general rule, 6 hours of laboratory time are required for every hour of work conducted in the field. Washing and sorting artifacts is the first step in the laboratory process.

Architecture, Collections, Preservation

As we continue to move forward with our expanded new facilities initiative, there’s one major aspect of the plan that’s undergoing rehabilitation rather than construction. The Caretaker’s House was likely…